CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — In 2022, there were at least 1,599 opioid related deaths in Cook County alone, according to preliminary numbers released by county officials.
The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office said it expects the final number of opioid overdose deaths to exceed 2,000, once approximately 400 – 500 pending cases are finalized. That would make 2022 one of the worst years on record, the office said in a press release.
Dr. Juleigh Nowinski-Konchak, with Cook County Health, said drug use has become more lethal, but she also noted that there are better prevention and treatment programs for those struggling with opioid use.
“You know, we are, I think, starting to think outside the box about how we approach substance abuse disorder, how we treat, how we care for individuals affected by substance abuse disorder,” Nowinski-Konchak said. “There have been improvements in terms of access to evidence-based treatment for opioid use disorder.”
Opioid overdoses in Illinois increased 33% from 2019 to 2020, alone, and Nowinski-Konchack said the trend hasn’t changed much.
“[The] COVID pandemic changed the fact that heroin, almost universally in Chicago, now has fentanyl in it, and fentanyl being exponentially more likely to cause an overdose than heroin,” she said. “We saw trends going in the unfortunate direction there in 2022, and so that’s contributing to why we’re having trouble catching up.”
Related
According to the medical examiner’s office, men made up nearly 78% of all opioid toxicity cases in Cook County. African American residents accounted for over half of the county’s opioid related deaths, and the age group most impact was 50- to 59-year-olds, who composed 28% of the county’s overdose deaths.
In March 2022, Gov. J.B. Pritzker released the second Opioid Overdose Action Plan in response to the crisis.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance use, Illinois offers a helpline that can be reached at 833-234-6343, or you can text “HELP” to 833234.
Related
Listen to WBBM Newsradio now on Audacy!